DVIDS – News – NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support Attends Gold Coast Business Procurement Expo

Representatives from Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support attended the 36th annual Gold Coast Small Business Procurement Expo in San Diego, California, Aug. 19-21.

The event was cohosted by the Department of the Navy and the National Defense Industrial Association San Diego chapter.

The theme of the event was “Leveraging Small Business Capabilities to Seize Opportunities for Strengthening National Security.” During the three-day expo, senior navy leadership and industry experts met with small businesses interested in defense contracts.

According to an open letter released by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, one of the most important components of the expo was the opportunity to network, and to jointly identify ways to streamline processes and reduce barriers to entry.

“Small businesses are critical to ensuring we can support the warfighter,” said Noreen McDonough, deputy director, NAVSUP WSS office of small business programs. “In addition to the diversity of their capabilities, a key advantage that small businesses offer is their adaptability and responsiveness to rapidly evolving needs.”

The office of small business programs focuses its work on identifying requirements suitable for source development and linking those requirements to the capabilities of small businesses. This is only made possible with assistance from engineering, source development, and integrated weapon support teams.

Approximately 58 percent of NAVSUP WSS annual contracts awarded are to small businesses.

“We are always looking for opportunities to increase competition and the number of vendors we contract with,” said McDonough. “This supports our primary mission: providing maximum support to the warfighter, while also maximizing opportunities for small businesses to strengthen the defense industrial base.”

NAVSUP WSS is one of 11 commands under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, NAVSUP employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics and Sailor and family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsupwss, and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom.